1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data transmission apparatus for transmitting image data to a designated address via a network or a pubic line.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, digital multifunction peripherals (MFPs) capable of performing a transmission function in addition to a copy function and a print function have been widely used. Such digital MFPs include an operation unit integrally provided with a hardware key and an operation panel having a touch screen function, and thus a user can select a desired function from a list of functions displayed on the operation panel to perform a desired processing.
The transmission function is a function for converting read image data or image data stored in the apparatus, and then transmitting the converted data to a specified address via a network or a public line. When the data is transmitted via the public line, a facsimile (fax) number is set, and when the data is transmitted via the network, a transmission protocol used for transmission and a transmission address corresponding to the transmission protocol are set. Various types of methods of setting the transmission address are provided such as a method of setting the transmission address by selecting the address from the address book previously registered in the digital MFP, and a method input directly by a user via the hardware key on the operation panel when the transmission is performed.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-135570 discusses a method of setting a new transmission address by displaying addresses to which a login user has performed transmission processing in the past from a terminal apparatus and, from among the addresses, specifying the address to be used.
Various types of transmission functions can be set when data is transmitted. Therefore, it is desired that a user can more simply operate settings. To satisfy such a request, for example, the digital MFPs that separately include an operation screen for transmitting the data via the public line and the operation screen for transmitting the data via the network have been already provided.
Such digital MFPs display an operation screen on which only fax transmission can be set when the fax transmission is performed, and an operation screen on which only network transmission can be set when the data transmission is performed via the network.
On the other hand, for example, there is a desire for transmitting the fax and an e-mail simultaneously. To satisfy such a request, an operation screen needs to be prepared on which both a fax number and an e-mail address can be set at a time.
As discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-135570, as a method of setting a transmission address of data on an operation screen, there is a method of setting the transmission address on the operation screen by displaying addresses to which the user has performed the transmission processing in the past as a transmission history and, from among the transmission history, specifying an address.
However, when the transmission address is to be set on the operation screen by specifying the address from the job transmission history, if a plurality of operation screens is provided, it is not uniquely determined on which operation screen the setting is to be performed.
For example, a fax number of the job transmission history that has been transmitted in the past by a facsimile machine is set on the operation screen as a new transmission address. The apparatus is provided with an operation screen on which only a fax transmission can be set and an operation screen on which both the fax and network transmissions can be set.
In this case, when the fax number is set on the operation screen on which only the fax transmission can be set, since the screen displays only the setting items unique to the fax transmission, the user can perform the setting operation more easily. On the other hand, for example, the method described above cannot satisfy the request for simultaneously performing a fax transmission and an e-mail transmission.
Further, when the setting is performed on the operation screen on which both the fax and network transmissions can be set, the fax numbers in the transmission history of the jobs that have been transmitted by the facsimile machine in the past can be set on the operation screen, and also the e-mail address can be selected from the address book to be set on the screen, and thus the fax transmission and the e-mail transmission for the same information can be simultaneously performed.
However, on the other hand, for users who do not desire the usage described above, since unnecessary setting items are displayed on the screen, the setting operation becomes complicated.